Superpod, Aug 1st 2007!!!!

Trial Island Lighthouse with Mt. Baker in the background.

Seals at Chain Islands.

The picture above and below are of the Jellyfish sighted in large numbers in the Juan De Fuca Strait recently.

Jellyfish are marine invertebrates of the class Scyphozoa, and can be found in every ocean in the world. The body of an adult jellyfish consists of a bell shape producing jelly and enclosing its internal structure, from which tentacles are suspended. Each tentacle is covered with cells called cnidocytes, that can sting or kill other animals. Most jellyfish use these cells to secure prey or for defense. Others, such as Rhizostomae, do not have tentacles at all.
Jellyfish lack basic sensory organs and a brain, but their nervous systems and rhopalia allow them to perceive stimuli, such as light and odor, and respond fast. They feed on small fish and zooplankton that become caught in their tentacles. Most jellyfish are passive drifters and slow swimmers, as their shape is not hydrodynamic. Instead, they move so as to create a current forcing the prey within reach of their tentacles. They do this by rhythmically opening and closing their bell-like body. Their digestive system is incomplete: the same orifice is used to take in food and expel waste.
The body of an adult is made up of 94–98% water, and the bell shape consists of a layer of epidermis, gastrodermis, and a thick layer called mesoglea that produces most of the jelly and separates the epidermis from the gastrodermis.Since jellyfish are not fish, some people consider the term "jellyfish" a misnomer, and instead use the term "jellies" or "sea jellies". The word "jellyfish" is also often used to denote either Hydrozoa or the box jellyfish, Cubozoa. The class name Scyphozoa comes from the Greek word skyphos, denoting a kind of drinking cup and alluding to the cup shape of the organism.

L57 "Faith", male born in 1976.

J42, the new calf Porpoising near Discovery Island.

J30 "Riptide", J14 "Samish", J40 "Suttles", J37 "Hy'Shqa".

J1 "Ruffles", J2 "Granny", J14 "Samish & J30 "Riptide".

J1 "Ruffles", J2 "Granny", J28 "Polaris", J17 "Princess Angeline".

J1 "Ruffles"

J8 "Spieden", female born approx. 1932.

Its a family affair! J26 "Mike", J33 "Keet", J36 "Alki" and the new calf J42. The mother of these three, J16 "Slick" was beneath the surface when this picture was taken.

J1 "Ruffles and J30 "Riptide"

Stellar Sealinons pictured above and below at Race Rocks.

Elephant Seal at Race Rocks.


Passengers look out from the bow of Fastcat.
Passengers on the upper deck of Fastcat enjoying the ehilerating ride.

Seals at Race Rocks.

Race Rocks with Mt. Olympus.

Jpod Breach.

J30 "Riptide"

Tailslap.

What an amazing start to the month of August as we had our first Superpod of the month! After several days spent out west, all three pods were spotted heading back East near Sooke this morning. It was great to see our Southern Resident Orcas again and a thrill for our passengers as they saw a number of breaches, tailslaps and spyhops.

In the afternoon we came out of the inner harbor and found Jpod in a resting behaviour just south in the Juan De Fuca Strait. We followed them until we reached Discovery and then after a brief stop at the Chain Islands went back out and found members of Lpod, including L57 "Faith".

It was an incredible day to be on the water!